The sugary, caramelized pastry known as the kouign-amann is not the simplest thing to make—but it's totally worth the effort. Here's our step-by-step guide

When I lived in Paris, I fell for the unpronounceable kouign-amann (that is, “queen-a-MAHN”). A sort of denser, sugar-crusted croissant made with indecent amounts of butter, the pastry is now taking off stateside. At San Francisco’s b. Patisserie, pastry chef Belinda Leong’s version—which she adapts here for the home cook—is a cult favorite. Though the dough can be temperamental (I think it can smell fear), layer after delicate layer will convince you: It’s worth it. Here's a step-by-step guide—you can find the full recipe here and a video guide here.

Make Dough

Brush a large bowl with butter. Whisk yeast and 1/4 cup very warm water (110°–115°) in another large bowl to dissolve. Let stand until yeast starts to foam, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. butter, and 3/4 cup cold water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding flour as needed, until dough is supple, soft, and slightly tacky, about 5 minutes.

Proof Dough Twice

Place dough in prepared bowl and turn to coat with butter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, place in a warm, draft-free spot, and let dough rise until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours. (This process of resting and rising is known as proofing.) Punch down dough and knead lightly a few times inside bowl. Cover again with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until dough is again doubled in size, 45–60 minutes.

Shape & Chill Dough

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 6x6" square. Wrap in plastic and chill in freezer until dough is very firm but not frozen, 30–35 minutes. (Heads up: You’ll want it to be about as firm as the chilled butter block in step 5.)

Mix & Form Butter Block

Beat 12 oz. butter__,__ 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. salt with an electric mixer on low speed just until homogeneous and waxy-looking, about 3 minutes. Scrape butter mixture onto a large sheet of parchment. Shape into a 12x6" rectangle 1/4" thick.

Wrap & Chill Butter Block

Neatly wrap up butter, pressing out air. Roll packet gently with a rolling pin to push butter into corners and create an evenly thick rectangle. Chill in refrigerator until firm but pliable, 25–30 minutes.

Key Technique: Lamination

Ever wonder how puff pastry and croissants get their flaky layers? It’s thanks to a method called lamination, in which dough is wrapped around a thick sheet of cold butter, then rolled and folded again and again, yielding dozens of thin layers separated by—you guessed it—butter. Perfecting laminated dough can be tricky. Both the dough and butter should be cold but pliable. Too warm, and the butter will soften, potentially oozing out between those layers; too cold, and the butter may shatter. This recipe yields a whopping 162 layers—not as many as you’ll find at b. Patisserie (that’s what pro equipment is for), but seriously impressive nonetheless.

Roll Out Dough & Enclose Butter Block, Step 1

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 19x7" rectangle (a bit wider and about 50 percent longer than the butter block). Place butter block on upper two-thirds of dough, leaving a thin border along top and sides.

Roll Out Dough & Enclose Butter Block, Step 2

Fold dough like a letter: Bring lower third of dough up and over lower half of butter.

Christopher Testani

Roll Out Dough & Enclose Butter Block, Step 3

Make First Turn

Rotate dough package 90° counterclockwise so flap opening is on your right. Roll out dough, dusting with flour as needed, to a 24x8" rectangle about 3/8" thick. Fold rectangle into thirds like a letter (as in step 6), bringing lower third up, then upper third down (this completes the first turn). Dust dough lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and chill in freezer until firm but not frozen, about 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator; continue to chill until very firm, about 1 hour longer. (Freezing dough first cuts down on chilling time.)

Make Second & Third Turns

Place dough on surface so flap opening is on your right. Roll out dough, dusting with flour as needed, to a 24x8" rectangle, about 3/8" thick. Fold into thirds (same way as before), rotate 90° counterclockwise so flap opening is on your right, and roll out again to a 24x8" rectangle. Sprinkle surface of dough with 2 Tbsp. sugar; fold into thirds. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and chill in freezer until firm but not frozen, about 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator; continue to chill until very firm, about 1 hour longer.

Roll Out & Cut Dough

Place dough on surface so flap opening is on your right. Roll out dough, dusting with flour as needed, to a rectangle slightly larger than 16x12". Trim to 16x12". Cut into 12 squares (you’ll want a 4x3 grid). Brush excess flour from dough and surface.

Form & Proof Kouign-Amann, Step 1

Lightly coat muffin cups with nonstick spray. Sprinkle squares with a total of 1/4 cup sugar, dividing evenly, and press gently to adhere. Turn over and repeat with another 1/4 cup sugar, pressing gently to adhere. Shake off excess.

Form & Proof Kouign-Amann, Step 2

Lift corners of each square and press into the center.

Form & Proof Kouign-Amann, Step 3

Place each in a muffin cup. Wrap pans with plastic and chill in refrigerator at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours (dough will be puffed with slightly separated layers).

Bake Kouign-Amann

Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap pans and sprinkle kouign-amann with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, dividing evenly. Bake until pastry is golden brown all over and sugar is deeply caramelized, 25–30 minutes (make sure to bake pastries while dough is still cold). Immediately remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Kouign-amann are best the day they’re baked, but if you have leftovers, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheat in a 300° oven 5 minutes.

Essential Ingredient: European Butter

Buying European or European-style butter is a must for successful kouign-amann. Its higher fat and lower moisture contents make it firm but elastic, so it’s easier to roll out and softens less quickly. And if that’s not enough to justify the higher cost, it’s more flavorful, too. We tested our kouign-amann with widely available Plugrá and Kerrygold, and both yielded excellent, super-flaky results.